4 Top tips for packing for a team trip

Every year, Stand by Me sends teams of wonderful volunteers to our projects around the world. They get to experience firsthand the work of Stand by Me and the amazing difference that child sponsorship makes in the lives of our children.

This year we have a number of teams visiting our projects in Dembi Dollo, Bekoji, Romania, Burma and the Dominican Republic. Our children in these projects will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of the teams and anticipating the fun and excitement they will bring. Teams are a wonderful reminder for our children that there are people in other countries who love and care deeply for them.

However, teams don’t spend ALL their time giving hugs! They also help Stand by Me bring improved care to our projects. Some teams may lend their skills to building projects and decorating or be part of a teaching or medical team. Other teams will be constructing water filters and beds to bring improved comfort and hygiene to our children who still live with their family. While other teams will be running holiday clubs, singing songs, organising games, Bible clubs and crafts for children in their school holidays.

We are incredibly thankful for all that teams contribute to our projects. So we wanted to give some tips and encouragement to our teams before they travel this summer. We have borrowed these top tips from the Ballyclare High School team who went to Bekoji in summer 2014 (we think number 4 hits the nail on the head):

Two pieces of luggage, not weighing more than 23 kg each, and one piece of hand luggage not to exceed 7kg. Times twenty-one people that’s 1113kg of filled pencil cases, Joseph-themed colouring books, hockey sticks, crayons, scissors, tissue paper, Haribo, water filters, and all sorts of other surprises. How will we ever squeeze it all in?
Here are some helpful tips:
1. Put large or heavy items at the bottom;
2. Put fragile items in the middle;
3. Use the inside of your shoes as storage;
4. Remember that the most important things we are bringing are unrestricted. Our talents, enthusiasm, joy, and our compassion are without limit; they are by far the greatest gifts we have to offer. Enjoy it, make the most of every moment and every opportunity we have to share the gifts that we have been given. Those are the things that can’t be measured, not even by Ryanair.

So just remember to pack your enthusiasm, joy and compassion and you will have a fantastic time. You can visit our Bekoji page to read about the projects that the Ballyclare High School team visited.